Hodgson hopeful Gerrard will stay

08 July 2010 10:08

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Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is confident Steven Gerrard will remain at Anfield after holding talks with the player.Hodgson met the Liverpool skipper and team-mate Jamie Carragher on his first day as manager and said there were no suggestions that Gerrard was unhappy. [LNB]The former Fulham boss told LFC Weekly: "Nobody at the club wants him to go so I will be doing my utmost to make sure he stays. I am confident he will." [LNB]He added: "Steven and Jamie are the playing heartbeat of the club." [LNB]Gerrard, 30, has spent his entire career at Anfield, but has been linked with a move away from Liverpool following a disappointing season that saw the club finish outside the Champions League places. [LNB]New Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has made no secret of his admiration for the midfielder and many experts believe the Bernabeu is Gerrard's most likely destination should he choose to quit Merseyside. Mourinho was linked with moves for the player while at Chelsea and Inter Milan. [LNB]Hodgson admitted there was likely to be interest from other sides, saying: "I anticipate there might be a situation where other big clubs will try to sign Steven but he gave no indication that he wanted to leave."[LNB] Will Gerrard stay at Liverpool? He added: "It's very important we keep people like that with us." [LNB]Earlier this week, Gerrard announced that he wanted to continue playing for England, despite their disappointing World Cup campaign where he captained the team in the absence of the injured Rio Ferdinand. [LNB]As well as being keen to keep hold of Gerrard and Carragher, Hodgson will also be hoping to retain Spain striker Fernando Torres. [LNB]The 26-year-old has scored 56 times from 69 Premier League starts since signing in 2007, but has said he will not discuss his future until after Sunday's World Cup final against the Netherlands.